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(10/15/15 5:06pm)
On Oct. 1 — the last day allowed by federal law — Mercer University Police posted their annual Crime Awareness and Campus Security report to their website in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
The document includes information from 2012, 2013, and the newly added data from 2014. The report separates statistics into three categories: criminal offenses, hate crimes and arrests, and referrals for disciplinary action.
Criminal offenses encompass criminal homicide — murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and negligent manslaughter — and either forcible or non-forcible sex offenses. Other offenses include robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Hate crimes cover all offenses listed above and any incidents of larceny-theft, simple assault, intimidation, or destruction/damage/vandalism of property that were motivated by another’s race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, language, nationality,religion or sexual orientation.
Referrals for disciplinary action with firearms, alcohol and drugs.
The document does not list the 54 incidents of larceny-theft that Mercer Police reported to the FBI during 2014. The Clery Act does not require universities to publish this information in their reports. But nothing prevents them from doing so.
“We think it should be [included],” said Mercer Police Chief Gary Collins.
The full report was sent out to all university e-mail addresses.
CRIME UPDATE:
Mercer Police has been busy while most of us were away during the summer and well into the start of the fall semester. From July 28 to Sept. 30, there were 14 criminal incidents on file. There have been four thefts by taking, four entering autos, one stolen vehicle, one theft of auto, two counts of criminal trespassing, one count of making terroristic threats, one count of burglary and one sexual assault.
A student fell asleep while hammocking in Tattnall Square Park on Sept. 21 and had black Under Armour string bag stolen during a snooze. The perpetrator made off with two car keys, a room key, a vape pen and the student’s license. The bag and its contents were valued at $250.
A student’s 2004 Ford Ranger had its windows smashed out and $5 of change stolen from the console. A witness noticed the damaged and reported it at 4:19 p.m. on Sept. 16.
Reporting officer Gus Moore approached a young “black male subject walking across the [baseball] parking lot acting suspicious” on Sept.17, according to his report. Moore believed the person had trespassing warnings against him. Upon getting a closer look and following a short conversation, the officer identified him as a known burglar currently on probation. The young man lied about his identity, but eventually he told the officer who he really was. The young man was then escorted to the Mercer Police station. While there, the trespasser made threats against police officers in general. The young man was taken to Jackson Juvenile Center and transported to the Youth Development Center at Riggins Mill Road in Macon.
A student, Nathan Fall, reported his 1993 single cab red Chevy stolen. The report dates the incident Sept. 20, and the truck is still missing. Falls got the truck as a gift. It originally belonged to his grandfather, who died of cancer when Falls was 6. The truck ended up in the hands of his great-grandfather until Falls turned 15. “I’d really like it back,” he said. “It was one of the few things I had left of his. The [insurance] check won’t replace what it meant to me.” The truck features a unique, single headlight front. The front plate reads “LIKEAROCK.”
Mercer Police were notified on Aug. 31 that a student was sexually assaulted twice Feb. 26 and 27 while on campus. Title IX coordinator Melissa Mashburn provided the department with a written statement. Investigators conducted interviews Sept. 3 and 22 to confirm the sequence of events. The case is ongoing.
(10/15/15 12:25am)
Polly’s La Mesa is not somewhere you’d expect a college kid to sit down and order. It’s only about two and a half miles from Mercer University, but it feels a world away and untouched by time.
Most of the tables are filled with the elderly and local police officers. The TV in the corner is an old, bulbous box with color-coded inputs on the front. You can hear Fox News in the distance. It looks like someone stretched your grandmother’s living room to fill an entire restaurant.
Polly’s has been around since 1976, and though it may show, there’s a good reason. From its house-made salsas to its attentive staff, Polly’s demonstrates why it has staying power.
The GOOD:
Fried Jalapeños:
Normally, I’m not a fan of the jalapeño. I’ve never had a meal where I thought it was a must. But when these slices of jalapeño were fried and covered in ranch, I couldn’t stop eating. The more I ate, the more my mouth burned, but I couldn’t stop.
Salsa:
We went through nearly two baskets of chips, and the salsa is mostly to blame. Be warned: this house-made mixture will burn you slowly. It’s spicier than Justin or I anticipated.
Tamales:
It looked like a Mexican lasagna more than your traditional tamale. I asked for a mixture of the white cheese sauce and cheddar. I got it. The ground beef was well-cooked, and the tamale itself was spongy and firm. Polly’s taco sauce over the top of this dish is a must.
Price:
I had enough food for two meals, and I didn’t break the bank.
The QUESTIONABLE:
The House Special:
The dish was overpowered by the large chunks of onion in concentrated areas. Justin was so bothered that he began to pick out pieces as the meal progressed.
The BAD:
Television: They had Fox News playing.
Rating:
Nick: 4/5
Justin: 4/5
(09/27/15 1:07am)
The crack of cricket bat against ball and the occasional Hindi word between teammates fills the cool summer breeze in Tattnall Square Park.
The batsmen, the bowler and the fieldsmen play like they were in the streets of Kolkata or Eden Gardens, far from Macon’s magnolias and cicadas.
The Mercer club cricket team was hard at work preparing for their first game against Georgia Tech and the season ahead.
“The love of the sport brought us here,” said Sameer Anand, the team’s coach and co-captain.
Anand stands off to the side of the field watching. His father played the sport semi-professionally in India. He’s played club cricket in Atlanta since the ninth grade. Co-captain and team director, Yash Patel, spent some time playing in Toronto.
This is the team’s first season as a club sport. Anand and Patel laid the team’s foundation early last spring.
The two had bonded over the sport, and they wanted to bring it to Mercer. Anand, a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, began recruiting brothers who were familiar with the sport or willing to learn it. Anand and Patel also used Mercer Malsala, a south Asian and Middle Eastern culture club, to target potential players.
If the cricketers saw someone walking through the park who they thought had some athletic ability, the group would recruit the passersby.
Thirty men showed up for tryouts at the beginning of the fall. Fifteen were selected, and the team has a strong international flare. All of the Indians on the team are first generation Americans. Ritchie Edmondson, a former soccer player and Mercer graduate from Jamaica, also plays on the team.
“Most of them speak Hindi to each other. So, I know like two phrases,” said Samuel Brunk, a member of Alpha Tau Omega and co-captain of the team.
Once the team was fielded, Anand and company prepared for the season ahead. The group received $3,000 of provisional funding for its first year of play, and the team already had a practice field at Tattnall thanks to the Friends of Tattnall Square Park, a group of park volunteers, who Anand says have gone “above and beyond” in their support.
But the money wears thin as costs pile up. Anand and Patel have gone to great lengths to ensure the team has the proper materials.
“Yash and myself donated $750 dollars of equipment each,” Anand said. “We couldn’t order jerseys and hats because they cost too much, so I found the cheapest wholesaler I could. I ironed on—in my apartment—17 Mercer logos. We’ve had to collect team dues, too.”
But Anand runs a tight ship. He doesn’t want the makeshift label attached to the team.
“Ali, don’t ever throw the bat. Twenty-five push-ups, now,” Anand says to a teammate across the field. “Chest to the ground!”
The team played Georgia Tech, one of the premier college club teams, Saturday, Sept. 19. The Bears lost 153-117.
“It was an awesome match, they were great sports, and I’m really proud of our guys. Yesterday we proved that we had the talent, we had the dedication, and most of all, we could be competitive with anybody,” Anand said.
The Bears have their eyes set on March and the American College Cricket tournament. The league includes 32 teams from institutions such as Harvard, Yale, U Penn and Georgia Tech. The tournament will be shown on the TV Asia network. The club received approval to join the league.
The team will have to raise funds to cover the expenses, but, just as before, the cricketers aren’t afraid of a challenge.
“It is a dream come true for us,” Anand said. “It’s our biggest opportunity to show Mercer that we are not only committed, but we’re potentially the most competitive sport on campus.”
(09/11/15 4:59am)
This band of brothers isn’t crossing a hail of bullets like the Scouts and Raiders on the sands of Salerno. But the Alpha Beta and Lambda Xi chapters of Kappa Sigma are on a mission of their own.
In mile segments, the men will run a football from Milledgeville to Five Star Stadium in Macon for the Bears’ first home football game.
The succession of hand offs between brothers goes beyond an affinity for the gridiron. The goal: raise $20,000 for the SEAL Legacy Foundation, an organization which provides services for Navy SEALs and their families.
“I couldn’t think of anything better to give back to than America’s most elite warriors and their families,” said Barrett Stanley, a member of Kappa Sigma at Georgia College and State University, in an e-mail.
The event falls under the banner of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity Military Heroes Campaign, which was established in 2007 — a cause the fraternity is now known for, said John Niesen, a member of the Mercer chapter.
Niesen was inspired while on a trip to the 70th Biennium Grand Conclave in Las Vegas this summer. There Niesen met Cmdr. Mark McGinnis. McGinnis, who heads up the SEAL Legacy Foundation, was involved in fundraising events the previous year with other chapters of the fraternity. For his efforts, McGinnis was made an honorary member of the fraternity, Niesen said.
Niesen found further inspiration from Phillip Bell and Barrett Stanley.
Bell, a Georgia College and State University graduate and former Kappa Sigma, told Niesen that Mercer had partnered with the Lambda Xi chapter at Georgia College for a football run before. The Bears reinstituted their football team in the Fall of 2013, so it made sense to bring the run back, Niesen said. Stanley agreed.
“[The three of us] got together and just decided why can’t we do something like that?” Niesen said.
The group began to approach prominent figures and sponsors.
Mercer University Athletic Director Jim Cole, a close friend of Bell, agreed to partner with Kappa Sigma for the event. State Farm agreed to be a sponsor. The fraternity is still working to secure other important sponsors, such as Cox Communications and Ortho Georgia.
After talking with Phillip Hetu at the SEAL Foundation, an e-mail went out to members of the chapter that the Run to Victory event was given its own page and logo. Kappa Sigma will also be able to direct all online payments through the foundation software, meaning each dollar donated will go directly to the foundation.
Logistics are also key. The group has partnered with law enforcement to coordinate the running of the football to ensure the safety of the runners. There are 47 brothers in the Georgia College chapter. The Mercer chapter is much smaller with 23 brothers.
Niesen has members in mind for the Mercer segments of the run, but nothing has been finalized.
“Depending on if we need runners, we may ask some of our pledges to get involved,” Niesen said.
Once the ball arrives in Macon, Niesen and company have worked closely with Athletic Director Cole to fill the pre-game ceremonies.
Kappa Sigma undergraduate brothers will present the American flag and a check to SEAL Legacy Foundation. Members of the administration and community leaders are expected to attend. Niesen said plans are in the works to get a former governor and brother of Kappa Sigma to attend the event.
The event has raised $7,680 as of Sept. 6. The two chapters hope this year’s run from Milledgeville to Macon won’t be the last.
“When we were presented this idea as a philanthropy event, we decided to take it on in hopes that it wouldn’t just be for this year but be an annual event,” Stanley said. “I believe along with John that the number one goal of a fraternity is not having a good time, but instead, it is teaching the value of giving back.”
(09/09/15 8:21pm)
Record‐breaking freshman classes continue to push the university’s dining resources to its limits.
After conducting a market match survey in the spring, Mercer’s administration took the feedback they received from interviews of faculty, staffs and students to heart when adding the two new dining options, said Ken Boyer, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services.
Einstein Bros. Bagels, a national bagel chain, opened a new location under Tarver Library. The Farmer’s Market, advertised as a healthy alternative to the Fresh Food Company, replaced Bear Rock Café.
The new installments garnered a lot of attention. Some of it is positive.
“There have never been many healthy options [here on campus] so it really adds something!” said Mercer junior, Sam Tarleton.
Others, however, are skeptical.
“[The Farmer’s Market] sounds promising. But I’m not sure if all their claims to local and organic are accurate. You have to wonder,” said Mercer sophomore Hannah Blair.
Some students aren’t pleased with the changes. Einstein’s is the only late‐night option on campus. On Sundays, Einstein’s is the only alternative to the Fresh Food Company.
“On‐campus dining should be open later on the weekends,” said freshman Linda Burt.
To address concerns, Boyer and Aaron Probst, Mercer’s food service director, spoke with Adam Ragusea’s Media Bootcamp class and answered questions about the new additions.
Probst began by addressing concerns with the Farmer’s Market and similarities with the Fresh Food Company.
“It’s on a totally different menu cycle [than the Fresh Food Company],” Probst said.
In addition, Probst stated the eatery would source as much product from Georgia as they could.
“That’s why we have the big Georgia wall plaque,” Probst said. “We are working on getting magnets that stick to the wall to show you guys which farms we are sourcing from.”
When asked, Probst was unable to give an amount of the food currently sourced from local farms.
Probst then tackled the larger issue of operating hours. Dining options are more available, Probst said. Einstein Bros. is open all week and late into the night. The UC
Food Court hours are more consistent. The meal equivalency plan covers full meals rather than dollar amounts. Chick‐fil‐a and Subway no longer serve breakfast. The Farmer’s Market is only open from 11‐3 p.m. on weekdays and closed on weekends.
Boyer said the hours may expand, possibly even extending to service during basketball games.
The emergence of Einstein Bros. left many wondering how Mercer Village original Jittery Joes would fare. A key part of the deal that brought Einstein Brothers to Mercer required the eatery to not offer its full menu.
Boyer confirmed this.
“We want everybody to succeed and thrive,” he said. “We are not trying to directly compete.”
Einstein Bros. understood Mercer’s requests. Manager Brittany Ramos admitted that “[selling espresso] would definitely heighten our sales,” but added that “we are a community. We don’t want to step on any toes.”
Mercer’s expansion has required the administration to work with dining services and Aramark, a customer service business in charge of supplying Mercer’s food, to expand dining options.
Probst and Boyer expressed a mutual wish that they had known about the new additions quicker than they were told. They both mentioned the Farmer’s Market in particular.
“We had a very short window from May 15 to August 18 to open [the Farmer’s Market],” Boyer said. “When we first put what we wanted to do down on paper, the contractor told us ‘Okay, we should be able to open that some time in mid‐October.’”
Both added that safety was not an issue. Inspectors were present throughout the processes. They even returned when parts finally arrived for the Mongolian grill during the first week.
“We take safety very seriously,” Boyer said.
In spite of the growing pains, Boyer and Probst confirmed crowding at the dining options have subsided. But future plans are fluid.
When asked if there were concrete plans for the future of Mercer’s food, Boyer mentioned that there is a 5‐7 year plan that will be “plugging into growth patterns.”
Without a deadline for a plan or a required statement of action, Boyer and Probst stressed that they are “in the phases of developing that plan.”
“Like anything, plans change over time . . . we are trying to strategically plan,” he said.
*Adam Ragusea’s Media Boot Camp classes contributed to this report.
(08/19/15 10:15pm)
New Jersey-based sandwich chain, Jersey Mike's Subs, may soon be on its way to Mercer Village.
Jessica Brown, a manager at the Jersey Mike's Riverside Drive location in Macon, said plans haven't been finalized, but there are discussions occurring.
"I haven't known long," Brown said.
The planned location is currently unknown. The Cluster reached out to Brooke Phillips, a General Manager at Jersey Mike's and Larry Brumley, Senior Vice President for Marketing Communications & Chief of Staff at Mercer. Both have not responded.
Please return to The Cluster website for updates.
(08/18/15 10:37pm)
Young cubs and seasoned bears descend upon the Macon campus as a new school year and fall sports season dawns. To celebrate the occasion, Mercer Athletics is hosting a Fan Appreciation Day Saturday (Aug. 22).
The day begins at 9 a.m. as the Lady Bears’ volleyball team take the floor for their annual Orange and Black scrimmage in Hawkins Arena. At 11:30 a.m., the football, men’s soccer and volleyball teams will greet fans, hand out posters and sign autographs in the University Center’s Heritage Hall.
At 1 p.m., the final football scrimmage of fall camp kicks off at Five Star Stadium. The day ends at Bear Field as the men’s soccer team takes on the Belmont Bruins in an exhibition contest. Start time is set for 7 p.m. Both the scrimmage and exhibition are open to the public.
(08/14/15 5:46am)
1. Kirsten Stevens no-hitter
It reads like a Hollywood script. Coming off a rough outing against University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in the first game, Stevens mowed down Furman batters in the second to the tune of 11 strikeouts. It was the first no-hitter in Southern Conference tournament history and propelled the Bears to the championship game against Chattanooga. Unfortunately, the Lady Bears fell to the Mocs, 3-1. And Stevens transferred to Wisconsin.
2. Ike Nwamu’s dunk at Mercer Madness
Coming off an NCAA tournament appearance and victory against powerhouse Duke University, hopes were high for the Mercer men’s basketball team. Most of that hype rested on the shoulders of Ike Nwamu, a 6’0 guard that came to Mercer via Cleveland State. Nwamu leap-frogged a teammate to bring the ball between his legs and sent it home with authority. Nwamu and company didn’t return to the “Big Dance” after an upset loss to Furman in the SoCon Championship tournament, but this dunk did nothing but keep expectations soaring. Nwamu is now a graduate-transfer at UNLV.
3. Ike Nwamu hits post-season buzzer beater
Despite not making it to the NCAA tournament, the men’s basketball team was invited to play in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). In the second round the Bears ran into Stony Brook. With the game on the line, Nwamu scored 14 of the Bear’s 16 final points including a shot with 1.2 seconds left that gave the Bears the win.
4. OT Thomas Marchman breaks the Internet
A bowling celebration that ended with a cartwheel and touchdown brought OT Thomas Marchman a spot on the SportsCenter Top Ten as the Bears beat down Warner University, 56-0.
5. Women’s lacrosse debut
The women’s lacrosse team hosted their first campaign last season. The Lady Bears went 5-9 losing all seven road games. Four players received all-conference honors.
6. Men’s lacrosse
The men’s lacrosse team posted a 5-8 record, but went 5-1 in Atlantic Sun play. They fell to High Point in the A-Sun semifinals.
7. OF Kyle Lewis participates in Collegiate HR Derby
The 2015 SoCon Player of the Year participated in the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby July 2. The event was won by North Dakota’s Jeff Campbell.
8. Baseball makes it to NCAA tournament
The Mercer men’s baseball team went 35-23 and captured the SoCon championship after defeating Samford, 5-0. Once in the tournament, the Bears took Florida State to ten innings in a 5-4 loss. They were eliminated by Auburn in a 1-0 loss.
9. Soccer makes it to NCAA tournament
A three seed in the SoCon tournament, the Lady Bears pulled out a 2-1 victory over No. 1 seed Samford. They ran into the Gators in the NCAA tournament where they lost 3-0.
10. Chandler Curtis 99-yard return vs. Samford
“Mr. Excitement” changes the game when the ball touches his hands. The return specialist took three punts and one kickoff back last year for touchdowns. But his 99 yard punt return against conference rival Samford was the most impressive. Curtis bobbed and weaved his way into the end zone. The Bears lost the game, 21-18.
(08/14/15 5:30am)
Incoming freshman Mary Janiga strode to the tee box for the final round of the Optimist Junior Championship at the PGA Nation- al Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida on the prowl.
She hadn’t won on the junior circuit — she placed second in January’s IMG Junior Honda Classic and fifth at April’s American Junior Golf Association Gary Gilchrist Golf Academy Junior at the Seagate — but she had a shot.
The Wellington, Flor- ida native’s consistent play had her tied for the lead at even par.
She never looked back. Janiga blew past the competition, post- ing a 2-under for the round and gave her the title by six strokes.
Janiga signed with Mercer University in December. She will join three other in- coming freshmen in the women’s golf program’s 2015 recruiting class.
“Mary is a very driv- en young lady, and with the foundation of play- ers we currently have at Mercer, she is going to help us climb to the nextlevel,”said women’s golf coach Michele Drinkard in an e-mail. “It’s a great time to be a Bear!”
(08/14/15 5:22am)
Head Football Coach Bobby Lamb and his Mercer Bears are optimistic as the program enters its third season.
After going an astounding 10-3 in their first season since 1941, Lamb and the Bears moved up to the Southern Conference and showed flashes of excellence, but failed to execute when it mattered most.
The Bears went 1-6 in conference play and 6-6 overall, losing 4 games by a touchdown or less to SOCON power players such as Samford and Chattanooga.
“You have to take baby steps,” Lamb said on the Southern Pigskin Radio Network. “I felt like we took steps in the right direction.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Despite last year’s up-and-down campaign, Mercer’s offense and special teams performed well throughout.
John Russ, Junior., QB #7, 6’0, 199 lb.
Russ threw for over 2000 yards (2167) last season with 19 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and a 56.6 completion percentage. But it’s Russ’ legs that make him a threat. He has an uncanny ability to extend plays and evade defenders. Sometimes Russ is too confident in his legs. But when the ball is in his hands, Russ can electrify.
Alex Lakes, Sophomore, RB #27, 5’10, 205 lbs.
A stout and powerful north-south runner, Lakes will be the focal point of the Bear’s offensive game plan. In his freshman season, Lakes rushed for over 1,000 yards (1107) and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground, earning him preseason first team all-conference honors.
Chandler Curtis, Sophomore WR/PR/KR #13, 5’10, 186 lbs.
He’s lighting in a bottle. With one play, Curtis can change a game. Teams avoid kicking to him and rightfully so. Curtis accumulated 1,430 all-purpose yards last season, which included one kick return and three punt returns for touchdowns. He has garnered Football Championship Subdivision All-American honors from three publications and pre-season first team all-conference honors.
Alex Avant, Senior, DB #36, 5’8, 169 lbs.
Avant is tenacious and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. It’s not luck. Avant hauled in three interceptions last season and landed on the SoCon’s preseason second team.
According the SoCon coaches’ poll, the Bears are predicted to finish sixth in the eight team conference.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY PLAYERS:
Austin Barrett, DT #99
Tyler Ward, LB #37
KEY GAMES:
Oct. 3 vs. Wofford
Oct. 10 @ Western Carolina
Nov. 7 vs. Chattanooga
Nov. 14 @ Furman
(04/29/15 7:59pm)
The king of slow soul went silent.
The world—and the city that finally learned to love him—gave him one last ovation as the curtains closed.
Percy Sledge, best known for his 1966 ballad and chart-topper “When A Man Loves A Woman”, died April 14 at his Baton Rouge, Louisiana home after a bout with liver cancer. He was laid to rest April 21 as friends, family and fans honored Sledge’s talent and kindness.
“He was a kind, gentle soul,” said Jessica Walden, co-owner of Rock Candy Tours, a Macon music history tour company, and daughter of Capricorn Records co-founder Alan Walden.
In death, his musical legacy will live on as Sledge’s popularity extended well beyond the American South.
The soulful echo of Sledge’s timeless voice rang strong in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa.
But, the tones from East Macon’s Shurlington suburb came from the dark end of the street-- aching and bittersweet. [infographic align="right"][/infographic]
Sledge is tied to Macon music, like many other famous names, through the Walden family.
Phil Walden began booking rhythm and blues artists for fraternity shows while he was president of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Mercer University. Eventually, Phil and his brother Alan formed a booking and management agency.
Phil had signed famous Soul/R&B singer “The Big O” Otis Redding before Alan joined the venture, and Phil would sign rhythm and blues group Sam and Dave shortly after Alan began working.
Alan--not wanted to be upstaged--was waiting for the opportunity to sign someone. Then, came Alan’s moment and Sledge’s break.
“Rick Hall of Fame Studios was the first to play me ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’,” Alan Walden said. “He had it presented to Atlantic [Records] on behalf of Percy's producer and manager, Quinn Ivy, and the reaction from Jerry Wexler [music producer] was overwhelming. Test pressings were being hand delivered to every major disc jockey in the United States, a treatment never seen before in the R&B industry. Jerry Wexler was the godfather record executive of rhythm and blues and word went out that this was his baby!” Alan Walden said in an e-mail as he recalled his time with the soul singer.
Alan hopped a plane determined to sign Sledge.
Meanwhile, Sledge was struggling. According to an interview with the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, he worked in the farming fields of Leighton, before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama.
When he wasn’t in the hospital, Sledge was playing baseball and touring with the Esquires Combo.
“When A Man Love A Woman” was the first song Sledge ever recorded. He came into the studio clad in his dirty baseball uniform, with wide-eyed dreams of making it to the pros.
“I was a pretty good second baseman back then. My dream was to play for my favorite team, the Cincinnati Reds,” Sledge said.
He stepped into the recording studio in Muscle Shoals, and began to sing the soon-to-be famous ballad.
The tune was one young Sledge hummed while picking cotton. The lyrics came later. He improvised them at fraternity party at the University of Mississippi.
Alan landed in Muscle Shoals, Alabama to meet with Quinn. Alan made his proposal, and was off to Colbert County to meet Sledge.
When Alan arrived, he saw Sledge coming out of a room. He’d just finish giving a patient an enema.
“He still had on rubber gloves, pulled them off and washed his hands,” Alan said. “As I was shaking hands with him, I told him ‘Percy Sledge, You are going to be a star.’ His reply was simple: ‘Do you think I can quit this job?’”
Sledge signed.
Alan headed back to Macon excited. But, those around Alan weren’t too sure that the song would sell.
“I played the demo first for Phil who liked it but predicted it would probably go to the top '70s,” Alan said. “ Then, I played it for Otis and he also liked but predicted top '60s. Then, I played it for my Father, "Pops" Walden. He said ‘that d*** funeral march is not going to sell s***.’”
They were wrong.
Within ten days, Sledge’s album--also entitled “When A Man Loves A Woman”--sold 1.3 million copies, Walden recalled.
“It was the biggest and fastest selling soul single in the world,” he said. “My first signing was a huge step up the ladder of success.”
The next year, Phil and Alan suffered a major setback.
According to an interview published in the Dec. 28, 1967 issue of JET Magazine, Redding’s Beechcraft H18 took off from Cleveland. The rain came down heavy, and fog blanketed the area as Redding and his backing band, the Bar-Kays, headed to Madison, Wisconsin for their next show. Four miles from their destination, the pilot radio for permission to land.
They never made it.
The plane plunged into Lake Monona. Only Bar-Kays member Ben Cauley survived.
Trying to pick up the pieces, the Waldens turned their attention to Sledge. They tried to convince the soul singer to move from Alabama to Macon. But, Sledge has some requests.
“It was very important to [Percy] to be able to have a guest house for his mother,” Jessica said.
They found Sledge a house that matched all of his requests in the East Macon suburb of Shurlington.
Two days before Sledge made the move, someone burned the home to the ground. No one was ever arrested for the crime, but the Waldens believed that whites angered by the prospects of an African-American living in the neighborhood started the blaze.
“Everything pointed to arson,” Jessica said. “I mean there was a pile of rag [and] kerosene trails all over the place.
Alan told Sledge to stay in Alabama, and he became less involved in Sledge’s personal affairs. The pair’s professional relationship remained for a time, but the pair drifted apart, according to Jessica.
Alan and Phil, along with Wexler and Frank Fenter, established Capricorn Records in 1969. The group found a prolific Muscle Shoals session guitarist-- a man by the name of Duane Allman, birthed the genre known as Southern rock and helped influence the Presidential election of 1976 that put then Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter in the White House.
Macon left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Sledge kept moving.
He kept recording for Atlantic. He pushed out "Warm and Tender Soul" in 1966; "The Percy Sledge Way" in 1967 and "Take Time and Know Her" in 1968. Sledge recorded an album with Capricorn I’ll Be Your Everything in 1974, but the music scene was changing.
“Capricorn was becoming a rock 'n' roll company and R&B had slowed down tremendously,” Alan said.
Sledge released two more records, one in 1983 and another in 1995.
Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman” made a comeback. The ballad was covered by Michael Bolton, used in Oliver Stone’s Platoon, and featured in a 1994 Meg Ryan drama by the same name.
In April 1994, Sledge pled guilty to charges of federal tax evasion. He spent six months in a halfway house, received five months probation and was ordered to pay $96,000 dollars in back taxes.
In spite of it all, Sledge toured and remained immensely popular.
In the 2005, Sledge and Alan reconnected. Sledge came back to Macon to perform at Rock-A-Billy's.
It was the first time Jessica met Sledge.
The soul singer took to the stage and reminisced fondly of his time with Alan, Jessica said.
Years later, Jessica went to work at the College Hill Alliance and dreamed of having Sledge perform at the group's Second Sunday concert series. They didn’t have the budget to book him, but they kept trying. Jessica’s fortune changed after speaking with a local dentist.
“ I told Dr. [James] Cassidy, I would just love to have Percy Sledge culminate one of our Second Sunday seasons. He said ‘[h]ow much do you need?’ I told him. He said ‘book em’.”
Sledge was slated to perform October 2013. It was Jessica’s job to pick him up from the airport. She asked Alan to join her. Jessica said she wanted her father to come along to surprise Sledge.
Waiting in the terminal, Alan hid behind a sign that read Percy Sledge. As soon as he saw the sign, Sledge walked over.
“I had a sign like I was his driver in front of my face,” Alan said. “He came up and said "I'm Percy Sledge" to which I replied "You ain't no Percy Sledge, I just saw him in Savannah and he is a big guy!" Sledge replied “this sounds like Alan Walden to me!" I dropped the sign and we hugged and hugged.”
Sledge performed to the largest Second Sunday crowd recorded.
“It was packed all the way to the sidewalk in front of the Post Office,” Alan recalled.
Under the hot October sun, Sledge gave the city his heart. This time, she treated him right.
“It made him feel loved,” Jessica said.
It would be the last time Sledge performed in Macon.
Soon after, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He underwent surgery, but still kept touring. The liver cancer claimed his life, but Sledge smiled through it.
“He was part of a story you just couldn’t make up.” Jessica said. “He was part of Macon’s fairy tale.
Behind her on a computer screen, Sledge’s funeral was being live-streamed. The mourners' singing rose and fell in Jessica’s words, becoming more powerful as the story went on.
Then, it got quiet. The curtains closed.
The king of slow soul was silent.
*NOTE: This article was originally published on April 29, 2015. It was erased when the site went down in June. It was re-uploaded Sept. 19, 2015.
(04/19/15 4:20am)
The blonde-haired high-schooler balanced the chemical equations in front of her. Her grandfather, a chemist, sat next to her doing the same. They raced each other--atom for atom--and she wasn’t about to lose.
The future Mercer Bear didn’t realize how far those races would take her until a few weeks ago.
Sophomore and Stamps Scholar Kaydren Orcutt became the third Mercer student in three years to win the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship—one of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships given to highly qualified scientists, mathematicians and engineers who intend to work in research.
“It’s gonna open a lot of doors,” Orcutt said.
She came to Mercer unsure of whether she’d go pre-med or study Chemistry in hopes of obtaining a PhD. She took Advanced General Chemistry with Professor Garland Crawford and did well. Crawford saw her potential and introduced Orcutt to Professor Kathryn Kloepper.
They hit it off, and she joined Kloepper and her undergraduate research group.
Their research was utilizing analytical chemistry to identify the best way to clean up oil spills.
In the past, synthetic surfactants--lab produced compounds that allow the water and oil to mix and disperse--were used to help clean the spills. However, these surfactants are harmful to the environment.
Seeking a less harmful solution, scientists went to work.
Biosurfactants--natural compounds--act in the same manner. They are better for the environment but have not been very effective. Kloepper and her group wanted to identify an effective biosurfactant.
Orcutt spent several weeks in the summer working in the lab, contributing to the research. Kloepper took notice.
“Kaydren is excellent in the laboratory, but what really distinguishes her is her initiative and drive,” said Kloepper. “Kaydren…was very pro-active in learning about the project and analytical chemistry as a discipline.”
Orcutt submitted all the materials to Goldwater advisor and Mercer professor Adam Kiefer at the end of January.
The waiting, Orcutt recalled, wasn’t too bad. It was out of her hands but the thought was always on the back of her mind.
She was studying for a physics test when she got the news. Kloepper called her and asked her to come to her office. She wouldn’t tell her why.
She pulled up the award winner names and starting scrolling. Kloepper stopped. There it was: Orcutt.
“I was super excited,” Orcutt said. “There had been a lot of tension in the past couple days. They said they would get it back by [March 31] at the latest. We were in crunch time.”
The scholarship was a late birthday gift for Orcutt—the results came out two days after. Her family was ecstatic, Orcutt said.
Something was missing. Orcutt’s grandfather, the same one who’d race her, passed away earlier this year before she finished the application.
“It was one of those things I really shared with my Grandfather and I think they were a little upset that he wasn’t there to hear the news,” Orcutt said. “The irony, of course, is that my grandfather worked for a company that drilled for oil.”
The award means big things for both the University and Orcutt.
“Her success represents not only her brilliance as a scientist but also the dedicated mentoring and teaching in Mercer’s science programs,” said David Davis, Director of Fellowships and Scholarships.
Orcutt is preparing to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She’ll also be applying to top Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs.
But, she’ll be relaxing this summer. She’ll be in Spain for a month learning about the country’s culture, and improving her Spanish skills enough to help with the environmental problems in South America.
“I'll get to explore all the beautiful architecture,”Orcutt said. “My goal is definitely to be fluent enough to be mistaken for a native Spaniard.”
(04/19/15 4:18am)
Taki Japanese Steakhouse provides customers with quality food in an intimate and cozy environment.
We walked through the doors and were greeted by the cheerful staff. Our names were taken and we were taken to our seats shortly after.
As we walked towards the table, we noticed the restaurant’s near perfect layout.
There was seating at the hibachi grill as well as away from the grill in small booths and tables. The layout utilized the space efficiently but didn’t make me feel claustrophobic. You were close to everyone but far enough away to have your own space. The arrangement enhanced the enjoyment of my meal.
Our waiter, William Brown, was very knowledgeable. Justin, the photographer, doesn’t eat Japanese food often, so he asked the waiter for recommendations. Brown was able to rattle off several entrees and rolls.
Kyle, my roommate, ordered filet mignon and scallops cooked on the hibachi grill. Justin ordered chicken also cooked on the hibachi grill. Their meals came with soup, a salad, rice and noodles.
I ordered the Mountain Roll, a deep fried sushi roll with tuna, crab and the chef’s special sauce. The roll normally comes with avocado but I asked the chef for no avocado. I also ordered a side of steamed rice and chicken.
The soup and salad came to the table shortly after we placed the orders. The soup, broth with scallions, mushrooms and a few onions, was similar to those you’d find at other restaurants of this type. Kyle didn’t want his soup and I wasn’t going to let go to waste. I always enjoy the soup.
When the salad came to the table, Justin devoured it. He said it was the only Japanese restaurant where he’d eat the salad.
About ten minutes after ordering, the hibachi meals came to the table.
The chicken was tender, juicy and well-cooked, and Kyle’s filet mignon so flavorful that it didn’t need sauce. Kyle’s scallops were well-spiced and delicious. But the vegetables served were the biggest surprise.
“Normally, you go to a Japanese restaurant and they give you cucumber, some broccoli, some mushrooms, and carrots,” Kyle said. “[Taki] did, but this time I got a lot of broccoli and mushrooms. I was very happy.”
Meanwhile, I covered my rice and chicken in yum-yum sauce--a mayonnaise-dipping sauce traditionally found at Japanese steakhouses—and began eating.
It took a little while—about nine minutes after the hibachi meals-- for the sushi roll to get to the table.
The wait was worth it.
The roll was perfect. The crab, tuna, rice and seaweed with the lightly fried outer shell melded together perfectly. The chef’s special sauce was a little spicy but complimented the flavors of the roll. Justin never had sushi before, but he enjoyed his first try.
“Now, I have a reason to eat sushi,” Justin said.
We thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It was a delightful change of pace in a cozy and welcoming environment.
Taki is located on 6255 Zebulon Rd, and Thursdays and Sundays are dollar sushi day.
“It’s a good way to try fish outside of the normal tuna and salmon,” said Gabriel Israel, Sushi apprentice.
If you go, be prepared to bring back leftovers.
Taki is open:
Monday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 10:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 10:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm, 4:30 – 11:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 – 3:00 pm, 4:30 – 11:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 – 4:00 pm, 4:30 – 10:00 pm
(04/18/15 11:01pm)
In their first year as a student organization, Point B.L.A.N.K made an inspiring Cinderella run. The group, Mercer’s spoken word coalition, made it to the semi-finals of the 15th annual College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI).
Virgenal Owens, a 5th year senior getting his masters in biomedical engineer; Ryan Jones, a senior majoring in environmental engineering; Micheline Dieujuste-Antoine, a junior majoring in biology; Afrika Hamilton, a junior majoring in psychology; and Avery Braxton, a freshman majoring in journalism, represented the group.
“It was a crazy feeling,” Braxton said.
Originally, the group was an independent club called B.L.A.C.K Poets. Owens, Jones, and Dieujuste-Antoine joined the group when they were freshman. Hamilton joined a little later. The group was successful but group members didn’t have as much time to work on their craft because they had to promote. Becoming a student organization allowed the group to focus on writing, Owens said.
“There were a lot more open mics we could do because were a student organization,” Hamilton said. “CUPSI probably would not have been on the agenda if we weren’t a student organization.”
They began recruiting members and changed their name to Point B.L.A.N.K. (Believing Love and Nurturing Knowledge).
They felt the name was more inclusive, but still kept the group’s core message,
“When it was B.L.A.C.K Poets, it was Believing Love And Cherishing Knowledge,” Owens said. “We basically just changed one word.”
During the recruiting process, Braxton came to the organization. He was a part of the minority mentor program. His mentor, Justis Ward, told Braxton about the group.
“I took that and ran with it,” Braxton said.
Braxton performed at an open mic night early in the year and then started showing up at meetings.
While practicing their art form, they stumbled on performers from CUPSI.
“We didn’t know what it was until we looked it up,” Jones said. “It seemed like a far off goal. We kind of just took it upon ourselves to put together a team.”
The group took a change and held a poetry slam to see who would represent the group at CUPSI. Owens, Jones, Hamilton, Dieujuste-Antoine, and Braxton, the newcomer, were selected.
They made the trip to Virginia Commonwealth University, hopeful they’d do well.
In the first preliminary slam, Point B.L.A.N.K. placed first. In the second, they placed second.
“We told ourselves we’re going to do this and show out for Mercer,” Jones said. “I was really amazed.”
Point B.L.A.N.K made it to the semi-finals before being eliminated from the competition. The team finished 20th of 68 teams, placing ahead of teams from institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Duke, Princeton and Stanford.
Moving forward, the group is looking to expand its reach. Spoken word groups at colleges like GCSU and high school students in the Macon area are targets, according to Jones. Hamilton also stated the group wants to bring back Groove Speak, an event that was important during the days of B.L.A.C.K poets. The event gets members of the community involved and allows them to present their work.
The group’s success has spurred interest of students.
“I’ve had people come to me and ask ‘where do you guys meet and are you accepting new members?’” Braxton said.
The group hopes their success will continue.
“We want to add something to Mercer,” Dieujuste-Antoine said.
(02/14/15 4:34pm)
The skin on his ring and pinky fingers doesn't belong to him. His clothes and the closet that housed them are just a memory. His room is a burnt out shell. But, Aaron Brown sat behind his sewing machine smiling. The 23-year-old entrepreneur’s long journey has always had one constant—that smile.
Brown owns Bowfresh Bowties, a shop that crafts custom bow ties by hand. The store, situated across from H&H and near the town’s historically African-American business district, has only been open since Dec. 20. However, Brown has always been around fabrics and thimbles--his mother was a seamstress from Macon and his dad was a tailor so he was fascinated with the process at an early age.
“For me to see a strong man like my dad sew,” Brown said, “it made me think its okay that I’m a guy and I sew.”
Before the bowties, Brown made pillow cases. His parents refused to let him touch the family’s 1949 Singer machine. However, the temptation proved too strong and Brown went against his parent’s wishes.
“I would sneak and go use the machine…I tore it up twice,” Brown said. “The last time I snuck and used it, I finally figured it out.”
Once his mother realized what was going on, Brown didn’t have to use the machine in secret anymore.
“Right after [that], I made my first vest,” he said.
He kept making vests for himself and, in 2010, took a job at the Macon Mall Sears right out of high school.
The store closed in 2012, leaving Brown strapped for cash and jobless. Soon after, Brown was involved in a serious automobile accident. A car struck Brown’s vehicle, flipped over and landed on the roof of a car behind them.
“At that time, I thought I was about to go,” Brown said.
He always loved bowties and had been making them for himself. His sewing skills transitioned seamlessly.
“In a short amount of time, I could mass produce [bow ties] quicker. I could make something that I love and showed a bit of my personality,” Brown said.
Brown began to make more selling them at $7 a piece with the jingle “[b]ows to match your clothes.” Despite only advertising by word of mouth, calls came in and Brown was soon shipping orders to New York, Chicago, and California.
“I even had a lady in Chicago offer to fly me out and work in her boutique,” he said.
As Brown’s operation expanded, he needed a bigger sewing room. Brown’s brother, Anthony, and friend Gary Pertillo had a barber shop on New St. that wasn’t seeing the amount of business it anticipated. Brown saw an opportunity and approached the group with a proposition; he wanted to use the building. The upper half of the building soon became Brown’s personal playground and allowed the family to keep the building.
“I would give them enough money from my sales to pay the rent,” Brown said.
Brown was ready to make the leap from Facebook to physical storefront. He and his team pinpointed two locations for a store. But, something about the location appealed to Brown and he opened the store.
The store’s immediate success has improved Brown’s outlook on future prospects.
“Bow ties are not a trend,” Brown said. “They came before the necktie. If you look at our first President, George Washington, he wore a bow tie. They will always last.”
However, Brown has suffered some recent setbacks. A house fire that occurred January 25th sent Brown to a burn center in Augusta, Ga. where he received an allograft, a process where tissue is removed from one person and used on another person. He also lost all of his clothes and his room in the fire. Brown has fallen behind on orders because of the injury.
However, Brown said that he is certain that making bow ties in Macon is his “destiny”.
“The address [of the store] is 610 New St. Six plus one equals seven; the number of completion,” Brown said with a smile.
(11/20/14 8:54pm)
The North Korean freedom struggle has made its way onto campus.
On November 17, the Korean Student Association (KSA) hosted the non-profit organization, Liberty In North Korea (LINK). The event was designed to raise awareness about the issues North Koreans face on their journey to freedom.
“Not a lot of people know what’s going on in North Korea,” said Augustin You, president of the KSA.
Fighting to escape poverty and political persecution, thousands of North Koreans risk their lives to flee their native land. Internment in a political prison camp, torture, and death become likely outcomes for the runaways and those who aid in their exodus.
Because of the risk involved, freedom comes at a price. Many who help the refuges charge a fee. This leaves the displaced beginning their freedom in debt.
Assuming they escape successfully, the refugees make their way into China. Once there, a new set of obstacles confront them.
The displaced North Korean’s illegal status leaves them vulnerable. Employers and sex traffickers exploit the escapees. The refugee’s lack of resources and connections prevents them from making it to South Korea or the United States.
The struggles motivated even those with no direct connect to North Korea to join the cause.
Shelly Palmer, a LINK member who travels across North America sharing the stories of North Korean refugees, saw an episode of Oprah featuring Lisa Ling and her newest documentary, Inside North Korea.
“It just moved my heart so much,” she said.
LINK works to provide the refugees with a free and humane means of making the risky trek. Gathering information about the escape routes through China and Southeast Asia, the organizations has been able to establish relationships with individuals who work the passage.
The refugees are located by referral from others who have already gone through the program or by word of mouth. The escapees then meet with LINK field agents in China and are taken to Southeast Asia. Once there, the refugees are free. A large number of the North Koreans travel to South Korea or the United States.
The organization continues to assist the North Koreans as they adjust to their new life. LINK’S Resettlement Support program provides the refugees with support such as temporary housing, educational scholarships, and English lessons.
Mercer University plans to provide their own relief efforts for North Korean refugees. In May 2015, Professors John Scott and Sinjae Hyun will lead a Mercer on Mission to South Korea. The program is held in partnership with the Drim School.
Established in 2003, Drim School is the first special education foundation for North Korean refugees and offers elementary to high school education. Since its founding, the school has produced 65 high school graduates with 46 of them going on to university.
However, many of the students lack English skills and technological knowledge to compete in the South Korea job market.
Mercer students will live with the students for three weeks as they teach the students English and use LEGO Mindstorm Robotics.
To learn more about Liberty in North Korea, visit:http://www.libertyinnorthkorea.org/
To learn more about Mercer on Mission’s 2015 Korea Trip, visit:http://mom.mercer.edu/south-korea.cfm
(11/20/14 8:37pm)
The scars on her knees tell a story of renewal and relief.
In December of last year, and again this past May, Kathy Magill underwent two innovative medical procedures in which she received 3-D knee implants.
Living on a farm out in Fort Valley, the 67-year-old Magill’s constant rough activity and later chronic arthritis, took its toll on her joints.
“I’ve always used my own chainsaw and hole saw. I never did the kind of things that babied my body,” said Magill.
Magill put off going to see a doctor as her knees deteriorated over the course of several years. However, her inability to perform simple tasks, such as standing in the kitchen to cook a meal, drove her to seek medical assistance.
“It kills me to have to ask someone to do something for me. I hate that,” she said.
Magill found help at Coliseum Northside Hospital. It was from recommendation by the Coliseum Northside nursing staff that she came in contact with the surgeon who would eventually replace her knees, Dr. Bill Barnes of Macon’s Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex.
Magill wanted the process to be non-invasive and was told by Dr. Barnes that his method was close to that.
“I didn’t ask all the details. I didn’t want to know, but he said he would leave as many muscles alone as he could.” The talk of a custom made knee also intrigued Magill.
ComfortMIS, a Massachusetts-based biotech company, developed a process that uses 3-D printing to create patient-specific knees.
The creation of the 3-D knee begins with a computed tomography (CT) scan that travels from the hip through the affected knee and down to the ankle, which digitally recreates the mechanical axis of the leg. Afterwards, the leg is then re-aligned and software is used to map the joint. Then the lower half of the implant is shaped to match the tibia.
“It fits like a glove [and] it’s the most consistently stable total joint I’ve done in thirty years” said Dr. Barnes about the implant.
This process creates an individualized knee made from the same material as standard implants that is both sturdy and flexible.
“Its stability is the same full extension as it is [while flexed]” Dr. Barnes said.
Magill hasn’t experienced any serious issues following the surgery and has resumed her fast-paced lifestyle. She’s returned to working on the farm and her hobby of bird dog training. Despite recently taking a tumble and breaking some scar tissue, Magill got right back up with no damage to the implant.
“It moved better than it did before,” she said.
Magill said that she doesn’t hesitate to do whatever she wants “I have one old horse left. It’s not my horse--it’s my husband’s, but I could ride it if I wanted to be cruel to the poor old guy. He’s 30 years old.”
Others, including Dr. Barnes, have taken notice of Magill’s renewed independence.
“That’s what makes me want to keep doing this,” said Barnes. “Why would you ever want to stop doing this when you have people that appreciate that?”
(11/15/14 3:46pm)
An excavator tore through the bricks of 872 Pine Street. The shell of a home belonged to Charles Douglass, a wealthy African-American businessman and community leader.
Douglass, born in 1870 to former slaves, made his fortune in Macon from humble beginnings. He grew up in a one room house built by his father and began a bicycle rental and repair business in 1898.
Following a stint as director of the Georgia Loan and Savings company in 1901, Douglass got his start in entertainment with his organization of the Florida Blossom Minstrels and Comedy Company in 1907. The crafty businessman took advantage of the Theatre Operators Booking Agency, a network of over 40 theatres which provided African American performers with a major source of employment.
Douglass built his theater in 1921 and it would serve a major source of entertainment for decades. Ida Cox, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Little Richard and James Brown graced theatergoers.
Because of this rich history, the Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning Commission voted against demolition by a 3-2 margin last month. However, structural damage to the property posed safety risks that allowed for destruction despite the vote. Lou Patel, owner of the property, plans to use newly cleared lot to provide more space for a planned Dunkin’ Donuts shop.
(11/13/14 5:25pm)
Dawson’s Kitchen at Milltown Market is a small, charming soul food establishment located in Payne City, the small milltown encircled by Macon. While I was reviewing H&H last week, a customer sitting at the table next to said that Dawson’s Kitchen was the better restaurant.
Naturally, I wanted to see how the two stacked up. Again, I asked my roommate Kyle and friend Justin Baxley to join me.
We pulled into the parking lot and made our way to the front doors. The exterior of the building was welcoming. However, the inside was slightly disorienting. Dawson’s is a restaurant, bakery, and a market all under one roof. We examined the goodies and desserts on display, knowing that we’d make a stop after our meal.
We made our way to the register and had a chat with one of the owners, Dawson Moore. We asked him what he’d recommend. “What never leaves the menu… fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and green beans. The fried chicken is hard to beat,” Moore said.
The service was cafeteria style. Patrons come down the line, examine the food displayed, and tell the workers behind the counter what they’d like to order. Justin got the Salmon Patties, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. Kyle ordered the roast beef, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. I chose the fried chicken, fried okra and mac and cheese.
We sat down at the table and began our comparison. I enjoyed the lemonade. The mac and cheese was better at Dawson’s. The amount and combination of the cheeses appealed to Justin and me; we both like a lot of cheese. However, Kyle felt that H&H had the better cheese-to-noodle ratio. The fried okra had just come out of the oil when they placed it in my tray. It was fresh, tender and the batter was the perfect consistency. It could have melted in my mouth.
The rest of the meal didn’t live up to its potential. The mashed potatoes were under-salted. “It felt like it was missing flavor,” Justin remarked during the meal. The fried chicken tasted the same. The thin skinned thigh was seasoned with only salt and pepper. It was good but a little on the dry side. The roast beef missed the mark.
“I found myself adding some salt even with their gravy on it,” Kyle said at the end of the meal. The bread that we received with the meal was not anything special. The rolls were better than the cornbread, which was hard and needed a little more flavor. It may have been sitting out for a bit.
We sat for a while to let our food digest, then we made our way back to the desserts. Kyle purchased lemon squares, and I bought the homemade peach ice cream. The lemon squares were good but not outstanding, and the ice cream was unbelievable. We left with fully bellies, nearly satisfied.
Dawson’s was good but not great. If you want food quick and you’re in the area, I recommend it. Dawson’s Kitchen at Milltown Market is located at 3360 Brookdale Ave, Payne City and is open from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
(11/10/14 6:35pm)
I’ve only been here for two years, and although I sometimes pull out my GPS to navigate my way around these confusing downtown streets, I feel like Macon is my second home… and that’s how I believe it should be. Oftentimes, I find that other Mercer students don’t feel the same.
I remember writing an article a few issues ago about the SPLOST funding that Tattnall Square Park and the new Animal Welfare Center was going to receive. I asked my friend to read it once the issue came out. She texted me later, “(s)o, do you want my honest opinion of your article or do you want me to sugar coat it?” I remembered staring at my phone and wearily asking her to give me the truth.
“Your writing is good,” she said. “It’s the topics that suck… I think The Cluster shouldn’t include so many articles that have nothing to do with the school.”
My message is to these individuals.
How much sense does it make to spend exorbitant amounts of money to come to this University and only head downtown to the bars on the weekend? To only use this city for your own satisfaction? That’s no way to treat a lady. She’s got a beautiful, gritty soul deserving of love and affection, and she was cool long before she had her name.
According to some historians, priests traveling with Spanish Explorer Hernado De Soto performed the first recorded baptism in North America when he submerged two Native boys in the Ocmulgee River.
The city grew from a settlement at Fort Hawkins. Built in 1806, the fort protected America’s newest frontier and was a major trading post with the Creek Nation that had inhabited the area 1,000 years before European settlement.
During its early years, founders insisted on making Macon “a city within a park.” Inspired by the ancient city of Babylon, officials designated 250 acres of land for the creation of Central City Park and forced citizens to plant trees.
Macon’s location and use of the Ocmulgee allowed for the cotton market to flourish. However, unlike a number of other Southern cities in the Black Belt, industry became a prominent element in Macon’s economy. In the later part of the 20th century, Macon had developed into a hub for transportation and a center for textile production. For this distinction, Macon was dubbed “The Central City.”
Her voice is angelic. Little Richard, Otis Redding and The Allman Brothers call this city home. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker cut their teeth at Grant’s Lounge on 576 Poplar Street, an establishment referred to as “The Birthplace of Southern Rock.”
Despite this rich history, students think of Macon as a scary place that they shouldn’t explore. Upperclassmen scare the freshmen into staying on campus and continue to keep bubble mentality alive. This is not the Macon of past generations. Parts of the city are rough, but all cities have their spots. It’s our job to work with Maconites to fix these issues.
Our Mercer on Mission Program transforms the lives of people in underdeveloped countries through spiritual reflection and meaningful service. Students clamor for the opportunity to go abroad and fight the issues that plague these individuals. However, we turn a blind eye to the problems that affect our own community. The administration is shelling out large sums of money, but where are the students? Our efforts are perfunctory at best. Are we continuing the legacy that Alex Morrison established when he and other fellow Mercerians laid out the plans for the College Hill Corridor? When we say that we major in changing the world, are we pretending that Macon doesn’t exist? Are we that arrogant? If so, let’s change that motto. At the very least, our institution should be honest.